Astatine
by Daiyu Amaya
Summary: Maria's got a bead on him, he'd better watch out! But, who is he and why dose she have him in her sights?


**Astatine**

**Summary**: Maria's got a bead on him, he'd better watch out! But, who is he and why dose she have him in her sights?

**A/N**:I really couldn't help myself when I wrote all of these, one day I might put them all together, but for now I'll just update them ^_^ For this one she's a kid and second the whole team knows her so their comfortable with her. Thanks R&amp;R!

"Bruce, you've got a stalker." Clint turned his head back to the man with a grin. "She's cute but so not anyone's type." Bruce frowned and turned around about the same time I did to look over the couch. Maria was lurking by the hallway. "Hey, Maria-What are you up to?" Maria shot me a smile before darting forward and jumping at Bruce. "AH!" She laughed as she landed on him and pointed the plastic gun at him. "Pow, right in the kisser!" and she pulled the trigger, water slamming right into Bruce's surprised face. "Kid, you've got Tony's absolute none existent danger sense." Clint said as Maria's gun lost its gusto. "Yeah? He'd do that to Bruce too?" Bruce wiped his face; "Yeah, no. He wouldn't because of this!" And suddenly Maria was laughing and wiggling to get free as Bruce tickled her sides. "I give, I give!" But Bruce didn't let up. "What do you say?" Bruce asked with a smirk, seriously he was taking too many traits that Tony had these days. "I won't do it again! I promise!"  
He let her go and she got up, bright red in the face. "Hey, kiddo your blocking the screen." Clint said and Maria jumped him; "Yeah, well pow!" and she squished the trigger of the water gun and got him with what was left from her attack on Bruce. "Come here you!" She jumped off of Clint's lap and made a mad dash away as Clint followed after her with his arms raised like he was a monster chasing her. "That was cute." I nodded; "Cute attack." Bruce snorted, "At least it's quite again." I had to agree with that. "I bet Tony gave her that thing." Bruce smiled; "Actually I gave her that, but to use on Tony." I burst into laughter. "Jarvis, did Maria get Tony with her water gun?" Jarvis took half a second before replying dryly; "Yes, she attacked sir five minutes ago." I looked at Bruce and he looked at me and both of us burst into laughter. "Of course she did." I guess she just liked getting every one. "Hey, Bruce!" Tony shouted as he entered the teams common room where me and Bruce were watching television. "Tony, your soaked!" Maria did a number on Tony. "Jarvis didn't warn me that Maria was in the vents until she'd already popped out and fired at me." I chortled, of course not and Tony being Tony, didn't quite get it in time to stop her. Bruce shrugged and looked at Tony. "I think she plans on getting everyone with that thing." Tony pouted and sat next to us. "Yeah and who gave her the water gun?" Bruce straight faced shrugged, of course I stayed as straight faced as I could too-and tried to throw a thoughtful look up there too. Tony looked at both of us and sighed; "If it was Natasha I'd be surprised." and he wandered off. When we heard the elevator ding Bruce burst into laughter. "He knew it was me." I shook my head. Well, one genius against another.

"Hey guys…Bruce why are you wet?" Coulson frowned and looked down at us. "Maria." Coulson nodded; "Saw her being chased by Clint, don't think he's going to catch her." I smiled, not unless Nat was back. "What are you doing here anyhow Phil?" Bruce asked, "Seeing if Pepper was around." I nodded, of course he was-they seemed to have a thing for each other and since Pepper and Tony had split on good terms Tony didn't seem to mind all that much about it. "I saw her earlier up on the top floor doing paper work." Coulson nodded and said his goodbyes before heading off.

Later I was in the kitchen, hearing noise behind me I turned only to get a face full of water. Maria let out pearls of laughter, she'd been standing on the island to get me in the face. Otherwise she wouldn't have been able to get me in the face. "Ha! I knew she'd get you!" I wiped off my face and rolled my eyes at Maria and Tony, they were such pranksters. "Dinners almost done." Tony snorted; "Party pooper." Maria slid to the edge of the island, "What are you making anyway?" I grinned, since I'd come to this time and had any amount of free time I had started to learn the different ways to cook, I had been able to cook for myself before but the food was somewhat different. I loved to cook, sometimes I even baked-mostly because Maria hardly ever ate sweets due to her strict diet. When ever I made cookies she was on them in a heart beat. "Polpette di pollo in tomato sugo with pasta." She frowned; "Huh?" Tony strolled forward. "He means chicken meatballs in tomato sauce kiddo." Maria made the appropriate ahing sound and smiled brightly; "I love chicken and I love meatballs so that's awesome!" Not to mention healthy, Maria was very strict about all of that. "Can I tell the others?" We both looked down at her, as she hopped off the counter. "Sure kid, knock yourself out." and then it was just me and Tony. We kind of got along, it had been odd for us since I had actually missed his smart ass mouth.

Not to say we were friends or anything, but hell-it was almost as hard to dislike him after what Maria had told me about him. She said she could play him like a fiddle even though he knew she was an assassin. Because he was someone willing to give up their life for others, I knew that but having seen it first hand and then having Maria tell me why well...I really couldn't hate him that much anymore. "She really likes you, you know." I frowned; "She's a good kid." Tony snorted and took Maria's spot on the island. "She kills for a living, how dose that make her good in any sense of the word?" I sighed; "She didn't kill you when she had the chance." Tony's brows mashed together; "Kill me?" I nodded, "She told me once why she was fond of you. She said it was because you reminded her of her, because of everything that happened to you. She's not innocent but she's trying to become something better. Like you, so when she was hired to murder you she didn't." Tony let out a breath; "She tell you who hired her?" I nodded; "Staine she said his name was." He turned pale and rubbed his face; "Jesus... She couldn't be that old either when that happened." I nodded, but as I turned to tell Tony that she wouldn't now because what she had learned I found myself watching his back. I suppose there was time to talk about it, no doubt he was either going to tinker with some of his things or he was going to talk to Maria. Maybe he should do both, after he and everyone else ate.


End file.
